Wiki While You Work: An Introduction to Wikis in Education

Originally developed by Mark Wagner, Ph.D., President & CEO, EdTechTeam, Inc.

Adapted and revised by Caleb Abraham, St. Peter Lutheran School, Hemlock, Michigan

​Table of Contents

Read-only vs Read/Write Web
Wikis
Why Use Wikis?
Examples of Educational Wikis
Activities and Assessments
Resources

Read-only Web v. Read/Write Web

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The Read-Only Web

• Powerful resource for educators and students, but…
• Information moves from publishers to consumers
• Information cannot be edited
• The One-Way Web (Web 1.0)

The Read/Write Web

• It is now as easy to create as it is to consume
• Anyone can publish, share, and change information
• Two-Way Web (Web 2.0)
• This is changing our world!

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Wikis

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Wikis

• A wiki is a website that anyone can edit.
• If you can use a word processor, you can use a wiki!
• Visitors can see a history of changes and revert to earlier versions.
• Visitors can discuss the page in a threaded forum.

Wikipedia

• Online encyclopedia
• Collaboratively authored and edited
• Over 18 million users worldwide
• Over 4 million articles in English
• Great resource, but…
• Use with caution

Educational Wikis

• Collaboratively authored class texts
• Writing projects
• Group projects
• Sharing resources
• Grade level teams
• Subject area teams
• Professional development
• Professional Learning Communities (PLC)
• ePortfolios
• Clubs, PTAs, and events
• Mapping of concepts, brainstorming
• Presentation tools

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Why Use Wikis?

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Benefits

• Engagement and motivation
• Context-embedded learning
• Inquiry-driven learning
• Collaborative learning
• Reflection and metacognition
• 21st-century skills

Concerns

• Information literacy
• Inappropriate content
• Inappropriate sharing
• Threats and cyber-bullying
• Intellectual property
• Fraud and identity theft
• Stalkers and predators
• Lack of understanding

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Explore Existing Education Wikis

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Activity 1: Evaluate Educational Wikis (and participate in a wiki discussion)
Assessment 1: Complete after Activity 1

Getting Started with Wikispaces

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Activity 2: Edit a Wiki Page
Assessment 2: Complete after Activity 2
Activity 3: Create Your Own Wiki with Wikispaces.com
Assessment 3: Complete after Activity 3

Using Wikispaces in your classroom

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Activity 4: Create an Implementation Plan for your classroom
Activity 5: Share Your Own Wiki (May be completed after the workshop)
Course Evaluation: Please complete the course evaluation surveys after completion of the workshop.
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